Top Ten Most Influential People In Football

Understand, this story is no particular order.

The NFL is all about business. The empire that is considered the most popular story in America keeps churning out star players, getting more people in the stands and of course, makes more and more money.

Now, the league is looking to potentially expand, put a team in Los Angeles and work on protecting players from career ending injuries.

The NFL is the only “major” sport where the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back of the jersey. Still, there are plenty of stars like Peyton Manning and JJ Watt who step forward and sell the league as the best – which it is. Manning is recognized for his records, his poise, and his commercials and for being the best Ambassador of the league. That aside, here are 10 other people who are influential in the development and sustainability of this league.

Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the NFL

Ultimately, Goodell works for the owners. But there is little doubt that he is the man in charge of the biggest sport in North America. He is often accused of being more of a dictator than a commissioner, but the success and growth cannot be ignored. In 2012, the NFL generated $9.5 billion in revenue, more than 25% more than the next biggest sport in North America. With most of their television contracts in place through 2022, there is no slowing down in sight

Dr. James Andrews, Orthopedic surgeon

Andrews is best known for working on baseball players. But Andrews also performed the surgeries and oversaw the recoveries of Robert Griffin III and Adrian Peterson, among others in the NFL. The NFL needs its stars and Andrews has become an important piece in keeping those players on TV and off the sideline.

Tom Brady, Quarterback, New England Patriots

Players get hurt all the time. But when Brady was recently injured in practice, Vegas temporarily suspended all betting on Super Bowl and playoff odds until the extent of the injury was known. The Patriots would likely still win games without Brady. But there may not be one player that is more important to his team's success than Brady

DeMaurice Smith, NFL Players Association Executive Director

The players' union is still not as powerful as those in other leagues, but the NFL Players' Association has come a long way and much of that has been under the leadership of Smith.

Phil Knight, Founder of NIKE

NIKE is involved in everything. Now that Nike is making NFL uniforms, we are seeing the first true revolution in what the players wear and what the uniforms look like. Many of the teams will continue to stick with their traditional looks but we have already seen dramatic overhauls for teams like the Seahawks, Jaguars, and Dolphins. For better or worse, Nike is putting their stamp on the NFL like no apparel company has ever done before.

Jerry Jones, Owner of the Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 for $140 million. Today, the Cowboys are worth $2.3 billion, easily the most in the NFL. They may no longer be dominant on the field. But off the field, no team wields more power than the Cowboys.

Bob Kraft, Owner of the New England Patriots

Kraft is not only the owner of the NFL's premiere franchise, but he was also the most active owner during the 2011 NFL lockout, despite the failing health of his wife. When the lockout ended, it was Kraft in front of the cameras with Jeff Saturday announcing the agreement and hugging each other.

Drew Rosenhaus, Agent

Rosenhaus has long been one of the biggest agents in the NFL and has a reputation as the most aggressive. That aggressiveness has led to accusations that he will break rules to get a deal done. But if there is a deal to be done in the NFL, Rosenhaus is often on the other side of the table.

Jay Glazer and Adam Schefter, NFL Insiders

When it comes to information, Glazer and Schefter are the kings of the NFL. If information needs to be leaked or passed along, these are the guys who will do it. So in some respects they are often just carrier pigeons for teams and for players. But by doing the dirty work they also get access to information that others can't.

Information for this story was obtained from was obtained from businessinsider.com.